Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has snubbed Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot when naming the best coach that he has worked under during his career to date.

Instead, Mac Allister picked Roberto De Zerbi, the manager he played with at Brighton, as being his favorite. Now at Marseille, the 45-year-old left the Seagulls in the summer and was replaced by Fabian Hurzeler.

"He’s a crazy guy, he’s Italian, I love him," Mac Allister said on The Rest is Football podcast. "He's the best manager I’ve ever had. The passion he gives for football is special and his tactical side is amazing. He makes you feel good. Since the first day I met him he was amazing with me and that’s why I said he was the best coach."

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Mac Allister also spoke about his relationship with Klopp, recalling the first time he had a conversation with the German ahead of signing for Liverpool in 2023. He arrived for a fee of $45m (£35m/€42m) from Brighton.

"Before I signed for Liverpool, I had a call with him and since that moment, I could feel that we were going to do great things," he added. "I really enjoyed my time with him.

"He said there was going to be a change in midfield. He wanted me to be part of it and he compared me to players like Ilkay Gundogan for and that I could be an important player for Liverpool.

"That was enough to say I need to go there. I was in the moment where I won a World Cup just six months ago. I wanted to go to a club where I had the opportunity to win trophies and I wanted to go to a club where I could feel important."

Liverpool.com says: De Zerbi is an excellent coach and it was a surprise that he left Brighton in the summer, especially to Ligue 1. Mac Allister, meanwhile, has been a revelation for Liverpool. He was arguably the Reds' player of the season in his debut campaign.